COLD TIMES
Snowy or not, winter offers lots of options for nearby fun
Y
BY ANNIE ALLEMAN ou can still have some “Frozen” fun this winter, providing Mother Nature follows what the Farmer’s Almanac predicted and gives us some snow.
The Polar Peak at Rosemont features a 260-foot run that will send people careening down a steep grade. It has five lanes, including a less steep lane for younger children. It is sponsored by “Disney on Ice presents Frozen.”
The attraction was slated to close Jan. 19; however Rosemont mayor Brad Stephens is working to keep it open into February, as above-freezing temps throughout much of December have kept the green light from coming on.
“We’re actually looking to extend some time on the back end rather than shut it down Martin Luther King weekend,” he said. “We’re going to try to take it into February. We’re being very flexible and trying to work with (patrons) about rescheduling their times.”
There are snow makers on the slide, but the air temperature needs to be 28 degrees or lower for good snow-making conditions, he said.
“It’s been a challenge, but we had two- or three-day runs where it worked well and then it was just blah,” he said.
“It’s just really cool to watch the kids and see their smiles,” he said.
Tickets can be purchased online at Mbparkatrosemont.com/frozemont or onsite for $20 per hour.
Once you’re done sledding, you can visit one of the park’s most popular winter attractions, its NHL-sized ice rink. Surrounded by glittering lights, the rink is free for ice skating. Returning for a second year is the Winter Frost Face Off hockey series. Hockey players compete in a series of games from Jan. 9 to March 1.
The ice rink isn’t weather-dependent, as there are refrigeration tubes under the ice rink.
“It beats having to go down to Millennium, and I think more and more communities are taking a look at least trying to put up a temporary rink, because with the Blackhawks, it’s got ice skating more on the forefront and people think about it more.”
Although the winter is long in the Fox Valley, there’s still plenty of thing do outside to keep the doldrums away.
Festivals
The OneDer Beers: Presented by the group Ale to the Burbs, this festival of oneof-a-kind pours will be Jan. 10 at Nevin’s Brewing Company, 12337 S. Route 59, Plainfield. Held from 2 to 5 p.m., this new event will feature about 25 breweries that all must follow the same directive: pour a beer that they never have before. Tickets cost $35 and each attendee gets 20-3-ounce pours and a commemorative glass.OneDerbrownpapertickets.com.
Winter Wonder Fest at Navy Pier: Runs to Jan. 11. Ice skating rink and 25 indoor rides highlight this fest; including an indoor tube ride, an outdoor toboggan roller sled ride and winter-themed mini golf. 600 E Grand; (312) 595-7437; winterwonderfest.com. $5-$25.
Naperville Winter Ale Fest: 12-4p.m. Feb. 28. The second annual ale festival will feature more than 120 beers from craft breweries around the country. There will be food trucks and live music. Each ticketholder receives 15 saple tickets; additional tickets cost 50 cents. Park at Neuqua Valley High School. Frontier Park, Route 59 and 95th St., Naperville. $45. Visit napervillewinteralefest.com
Cross-Country Skiing
Ski along miles of trails with minimal road crossings; including the Fox River Trail in North Aurora; the Virgil Gilman Trail, the Waubonsie Lake Trail or at the Stuart Sports Complex/Jericho Lake, Foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.
Additionally, many trails in the forest preserves of DuPage County allow crosscountry skiing when conditions permit. (630) 871-6422.
Dog Sledding
When snow conditions alllow, mushers can “gee” and “haw” on select trails at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville and Greenen Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville. (630) 933-7248; dupageforest.org.
Ice Fishing
Blackhawk Pond in South Elgin offers a wide variety of different fish species from bluegill to catfish. Introduce the kids to the sport of ice fishing — bringing your own bait and poles — at the annual Fish 'n' Freeze Ice Fishing Derby Feb. 7 at Blackhawk Pond, 1479 Blackhawk Circle, South Elgin, ( 847) 622-0003; Southelgin.com. $3/$5.
Ice fishing is allowed at Hampshire South Forest Preserve in Hampshire, on Lake Patterson Oakhurst Forest within Aurora’s Preserve and on the two ponds within Paul Wolff Campground in Elgin. Kaneforest.com.
Beginners can learn the ins and out of ice fishing through several classess offered by the DuPage Forest Preserve District, Dates include Jan. 18, Feb 2, 15 and 16, (630) 933-7248; dupageforest.org.
Ice Skating
With the Chicago Blackhawks once again participating in the Winter
Classic, outdoor ice skating is in the spotlight. Even Patrick Sharp had to start somewhere, right? Lace up those skates and find a pond.
The Naperville Park District maintains winter skating rinks at five locations, weather and conditions permitting, through Feb. 15. Three are lighted and open until 10 p.m.; including Centennial Park, Nike Sports Complex and Commissioners Park.
Other rinks close at dusk and are at Gartner Park and at Meadow Glens Park. Hockey and broomball play are allowed only at the two boarded rinks at Centennial Park. A third rink at Centennial Park is for free skating only. (630) 883-4242; napervilleparks.org.
The Fox Valley Park District has two free rinks (one for hockey, one for skating) at Waubonsie Lake Park in Aurora and two new rinks in parking lots at Blackberry Farm and Wilbert Walters Park, weather providing. Foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.
The Forest Preserve of Kane County also offers ice skating at Oakhurst Forest Preserve on Fifth Avenue east of Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora. Kaneforest.com.
In Rosemont, one of MB Financial Park’s most popular winter attractions has been its NHL-sized ice rink. Surrounded by a display of glittering lights, the rink is free for skating in the park through March 1. 5501 Park Place, Rosemont; (847) 3495008; rosemont.com/mbfinancialpark.
Skiiing & Snowboarding
Operated by the Bartlett Park District, Villa Olivia offers downhill skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing, along with lessons for all levels and rental equipment available. Call or check the web site for closures. There is a winter carnival on Jan. 31. 1401 W. Lake St., Bartlett; (630) 289-1000; villaolivia.com.
No snow? No problem at Four Lakes Alpine Snowsports in Lisle. Four Lakes has offered skiing for more than five decades — and more recently snowboarding. 5790 Forest View Road, Lisle; (630) 963-3422; skifourlakes.com.
Raging Buffalo Snowboard Park and Ski Area caters to snowboarders, and offers drop-in classes, kids’ classes, Ladies’ Nights, half-pipes and more. 1 Alan Drive, Algonquin; (847) 836-7243, ragingbuffalo.com.
There’s no sleds allowed on a snowboard-only hill at Weigand Riverfront Park, 2436 S. Washington St., Naperville. (630) 848-5000; napervilleparks.org.
Sledding
The Fox Valley Park District offers sledding at Waubonsie Lake Park, Lincoln Park and McCullough Park in Aurora.
There’s prime sledding to be had on the big hill on Fifth Avenue, just west of Kautz Road, in the Oakhurst Forest Preserve. Maintained by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. Other areas include Campton Forest Preserve in Campton Hills, Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva and Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn. There must be at least four inches of snow on the ground for sledding.
The Naperville Park District’s sledding hills are open only when a minimum amount of snow is on the ground, and the sledding season runs to Feb. 28.
Snowmobiling
There must be a minimum of four inches of snow and the ground must be frozen for snowmobiling to be permitted in the Kane County Forest Preserve. Snowmobiling is allowed at Campton Forest Preserve, the Great Western Trail west of Wasco, and on Hampshire Forest Preserve.
Snowshoeing
Check your nearest forest preserve — most let you snowshoe the trails with your own shoes for free as long as there is sufficient snow cover (usually three inches).
Many will rent them out to you, like at the Red Oak Nature Center in Batavia. For $5, you can rent a pair of snowshoes and poles included and explore the many hiking trails along the Fox River. 2343 S River St, Batavia; (630) 897-1808; foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.
Over at Blackwell Forest Preserve, snowshoe rentals are $5 (cash only) for two hours and $10 (cash only) per day and end at 2 p.m. On weekdays when Mount Hoy isn’t open but the trails have enough snow, rentals are available 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the District’s west sector office on Mack Road. (630) 876-5931.
You can also cross-country ski or snowshoe at the Morton Arboretum’s 1,700-acre winter wonderland. Kids’ and adults’ cross-country skis and snowshoes are available for rent at the Visitor Center Area when there is four or more inches of snow on the ground. 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle; (630) 968-0074; Mortonarb.org.
Snow Tubing
Blackwell Forest Preserve is the place to go for snow tubing. When there is three or more inches of snow cover, riders can take an 800-foot plunge down Mount Hoy. Inner tube rentals cost $5 per tube (only DuPage Forest Preserve District inner tubes are permitted).
Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends through Feb. 28, plus Jan. 19. Located at Butterfield Road, one mile east of Route 59 in Warrenville. (630) 871-6422; dupageforest.org.